Sagrika Rajora

Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav’s remarks about the dangers posed by ‘kathmullahs’ and his support for Hindu rule in India are devastating only because of the banality of evil they ensconce, writes Sagrika Rajora.

In June, bulldozers razed down a Kali temple in Bhoomiheen camp in Delhi. Selective application of zoning laws, nuisance doctrines, environmental norms and master plans have enabled demolition of mazārs, dargāhs and wayside shrines of working class devotees - clipping away the last remnants of citizenship entitlements for the poor across India’s cities.

With the aggravating effects of neoliberalism and Hindutva fascism, labour rights in India, which are a reflection of citizenship itself, have been systematically diluted through protective legislation, the criminalisation of protests and strikes, the informalisation of work, and attacks on unionisation - notably through the new labour codes.

While visibility is crucial, focusing solely on it can short-circuit the more profound understanding of how queer identities are socially and materially produced, write Aditya Krishna and Sagrika Rajora.

The horrific Kolkata murder and rape case has once again exposed the infrastructure of the damaging media and public reactions to such incidents.